VR tech has come to stay. No doubt about that. So you want to jump into the VR bandwagon but don’t have a clue which hardware to acquire? This article on the top 10 best VR headsets in 2023 will guide you in this respect.
With the proliferation of VR headsets which has produced notable brands in the last couple of years, you might want to back up a bit and do some research before you tap the buy button. We break it down for you right here. You’ll notice there is a buying guide section where you’ll find useful information to also guide you. This would not only help to tailor your choices but also help you get the best value, irrespective of the choice you would make.
First off, the table below gives you a breakdown of the top 10 best VR headsets to look out for.
- Comparison Tables for the Top 10 Best VR Headsets in 2020
- Oculus Go
- Oculus Quest
- Oculus Rift
- Pimax 5k Plus
- HTC Vive
- Oculus Rift S
- Valve Index
- HTC Vive Cosmos
- PlayStation VR
- HTC Vive Pro
- Top 10 Best VR Headsets in 2020 Buying Guide
- Tethered vs Non-Tethered Headsets
- Minimum System Requirements for VR Gaming
- Commonly used terms in VR Gaming
- Concluding Thoughts
Comparison Tables for the Top 10 Best VR Headsets in 2023
Last update on 2023-09-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Last update on 2023-09-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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Top 10 Best VR Headsets in 2023 Review
Oculus Go – Best Overall/Budget VR Headset
The Oculus Go is a standalone Virtual Reality Headset that is not only comfortable, but also affordable. It lets you explore the world of Virtual Reality without making costly investments on hardware. Let’s consider its physical characteristics.
Design
This VR Headset has a plain grey plastic face which bears the Oculus logo at its top. It however doesn’t have a fabric cover over the visor. The power button, volume rocker and an indicator light are present in the front edge of the top of the visor. The headset also avails you the opportunity to use headphones/earphones, as it has a 3.5mm jack on the left side of the headset. It should however be noted that usage of headphones/earphones are optional because it has its own in-built sound system.
Still on the left side of the headset, there is a micro USB port for charging. In terms of storage however, there seems to be a slight setback with this headset as it has a limited 32 or 64GB built-in storage (depending on the version), and this is because there is no micro SD card slot.
One of the factors that make this headset very comfortable to wear is the presence of the fabric-covered foam that runs around the back of the visor, where it comes in contact with your face. As such, the headset can be used for long hours at a stretch and it has a battery life of three hours. However, if you are prone to headaches and/or motion sickness, it is not advisable to use the headset for this long at a time.
The visor is attached to your face with a three-point headband that is made of wide of wide elastic straps. The straps aren’t easy to adjust, although they stay firmly in place with the help of hook and loop fasteners. You can connect to the sides of the visor with two long brackets and to its top, with a single eyelet hole that is behind the face mask insert. The headset weighs slightly over a pound.
Accessories
The headset has an included three-degrees-of-freedom (3DOF) motion controller. However, unlike the Oculus Touch or HTV Vive controllers, it is unable to track positions. The controller comes with a clickable touch pad and physical Back/Home buttons. It fits the hand more like a pistol rather than a remote control and this could be attributed to its front facing trigger.
The controller also has a wrist strap for tracking and it uses an AA battery for power. Similar to the controller, the Oculus Go Headset itself has 3DOF rather than 6DOF and as such, it’s capable of tracking your motion and determining the direction you are facing. However, it can tell the exact direction of motion relative to your current position (whether you are moving upwards, downwards, sideways, etc.)
Another disadvantage of the 3DOF compared to the 6DOF is that the VR software – to a large extent, has to be stationary and this implies that you wouldn’t get the VR of the whole room.
Features
Hardware
The Oculus Go display uses the same 2560×1400 px resolution which is then split up to 1280×1440 for each eye. It is however an LCD and as such it doesn’t have the same deep blacks and wide color gamut as the OLED display used by the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift etc. The refresh rate of the headset also switches between 60Hz and 70Hz, depending on the software.
The motion pictures appear crisp but the expanse of space in sci-fi games and science apps do not appear as dark as it does on OLED display headsets. The Oculus Go Headset is a bit faster than its corresponding smart phone version and this is because it uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 CPU. Although it is still a less powerful processor compared to most of the other headset brands.
The headset, in addition to having an in-built sound system also provides headphone-like audio without physically touching your ears. This is because it has a set of targeted speaker drivers that project the sound into your ears when you wear the headset. The speakers also don’t come off louder to others than it does to you.
Software
A standard selection of movie and TV streaming apps are available in the Oculus Store including Oculus Go versions of Netflix and Showtime. However, a dedicated YouTube app isn’t present on this version, but you can still watch 180 and 360-degree videos on YouTube via its in-built web browser.
Asides from this, there are also several dedicated browsing apps alongside other intriguing VR apps for reading, viewing, and productivity. You can also look at outer space in Virtual Reality. It should also be noted that the games are however not as sophisticated and this is yet another limitation of the 3DOF.
Oculus Go Key Technical Specs
| Display Panel | OLED |
| Resolution | 2560×1400 pixels |
| Refresh Rate | 60/70Hz |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 CPU |
| Storage | 32/64GB |
| Weight | 1.03lbs |
| Field of View | 101 degrees |
PROS
- Relatively affordable and provides great value.
- Standalone and doesn’t require a smartphone, PC, or game console
- Cable-free.
CONS
- There are a few limitations due to its 3DOF.
- It doesn’t track position.
- It has a one motion controller.
- Compared to other smartphone-powered headsets, the Oculus Go is underpowered.
Oculus Quest
The Oculus Quest is a product born out of many lessons learnt from previous headsets like Oculus Rift and Oculus Go. It provides an evolving platform for Virtual Reality and many improvements have been made – especially in the software, which has significantly improved user experience and mainstream appeal.
Design
The Oculus Quest is the fourth consumer VR Headset from Oculus, which is both convenient and has a low powered design. Just like the Oculus Go, it has a standalone design and as such does not require any external connection point like a phone or PC. On the flip side, while the Oculus Go is meant for stationary TV or movie viewers; Quest is meant for gaming.
It also has an included dual hand controller – rather than a single remote, and it is stuffed with four wide angle tracking cameras. These tracking cameras helps the user walk around a fairly large space. In terms of gaming, it supports similar experiences with the Oculus Rift.
Its body is covered in black fabric and it has a trio of head straps, which gives off a conservative aesthetic design feel. Though the headset works just fine with its increased weight, it is however not as comfortable. The distance between the lenses can also be adjusted by making use of the slider. Though the headset is very sleek, you might just be tempted to plug in earbuds anyways, because it leaks sound.
The insides of the headset are stuffed with various electronics, including a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 mobile chipset and 64GB or 128GB of storage – depending on the version. It also has several features such as volume rocker, a power button and a USB-C charging port. The Quest also has a thick convex front panel and it is completely wireless, which means you wouldn’t require a gaming PC.
Often, users could have issues with jumping cable ropes, tripping accidentally or even having wires/cables get stuck in inconvenient locations – the Quest solved this problem effortlessly. It is also amazingly easy to map out your play space; because while VR calibration requires walking around a room to track boundaries, all you have to do with the Quest is simply to put it on and paint the virtual lines on the floor of your space.
You can also move between rooms without having to change the set up because the Quest can theoretically remember up to five spaces, and snap between them. Although this feature might not work perfectly because it takes a few seconds to redraw – but that is only a minor performance issue. The Quest also provides an arena scale VR that teases the possibility of nearly limitless virtual motion. You are however not allowed to draw boundaries longer than 25 by 25 feet, as that is the maximum play space that the Quest provides.
Accessories
The controller’s motion is as accurate as that of the headset and you wouldn’t have trouble stretching your hands either to the side or above your head. The Oculus Quest controllers are different from the old controllers, because Oculus has flipped a tracking strip from below them to above your hands – here, the head mounted cameras can find it. Besides that, the basic controls haven’t changed as you would still find the same two face buttons, dual triggers and an analog stick on each controller.
The analog stick has however been shifted upwards and the face of the controller is narrower, because Oculus removed a capacitive touch panel which initially detects the position of the user’s thumb.
All in all, the Oculus Quest headset is sophisticated and convenient. While it is fairly well balanced when worn on the head, it is still quite heavy and could leave you with a throbbing forehead. On the brighter side, it has a higher resolution display of 1600×1400 pixels per eye and it uses improved lenses.
If you’ve got a spare $400 and tolerance for a light physical and social discomfort (restrictions from engaging other people while using the headset), the Oculus Quest would be perfect for you. If you are a gaming buff, you might also want to consider that though the Quest has an amazing design, there however are a few restrictions to the games you might want to play.
Oculus Quest Key Technical Specs
| Display Panel | OLED |
| Resolution | 1600×1400 pixels per eye |
| Refresh Rate | 72Hz |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Mobile Chipset |
| Storage | 64/128GB |
| Weight | 1.25lbs |
| Field of View | – |
PROS
- For a standalone headset, it creates an immersive VR experience.
- The headset has superb controls and full positional tracking.
- Being a standalone headset, it requires no phone, PC or game console.
- The setup is easy and the view of your surroundings is enhanced due to the pass-through cameras that allow for this.
CONS
- It’s closed off design would only permit/run apps and games for Quest.
- It is not suitable for outdoor use.
- It has a mobile processor thus it’s not always as good as that of a PC.
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Oculus Rift
The Oculus Rift is a powerful PC-tethered VR Headset with the inclusion of Oculus Touch motion controllers. In recent times, the Oculus Rift has become more appealing than the more expensive HTC Vive because of the reduction in price. It ranks as one of the best PC-tethered Headsets – not only because of its approachable price, but its Oculus Touch controllers and support for whole room Virtual Reality.
Provided you have a computer that can handle it, the Oculus Rift provides a functional and immersive Virtual Reality experience.
Design
The Oculus Rift design is simple and quite minimalistic. It has a plain black rectangular visor with rounded edges and little aesthetic flair. Its front panel is completely flat and only marked with an Oculus logo. The sides of the headset are similarly flat and they connect to the arms, which pivot slightly up and down, and are attached to the harness – which is three strapped, for securing the device on your head.
The straps are held in place with hook and loop fasteners and can be easily adjusted. A set of headphones sit on the arms and they are able to separately pivot and flip up and down, to properly fit on your ears. The headset is quite light weighted and comfortable to wear. Unlike most of the other headsets, you can wear glasses with the Rift but this would make it fit a bit tighter. Likewise, putting the Rift on and taking it off might also be a bit awkward, depending on the size of your frames. It could hurt you badly too if worn for long periods of time.
The Rift connects to your PC directly through a lengthy cable that splits off near the end into HDMI and USB 3.0 connectors. The lengthy cable makes it a little more awkward than the over-the-top-of-the-head cable of the HTC Vive, because you could find yourself struggling to find a comfortable position – without the cable sitting distractingly on your shoulder. A single external sensor is used and the black cylinder sits on a nine-inch tall metal desktop stand.
The sensor can tilt up and down and must be placed where it can maintain a clear view of the headset, when in use. There is a second identical sensor that tracks the Oculus Touch controllers and the two sensors work hand-in-hand, to improve tracking and cover a larger area. Each eye is separated by lenses on the headset and a 2160×1200 OLED panel produces a 1080×1200 picture for each. The lenses can be adjusted using a small lever on the right underside of the visor.
Accessories
The Oculus Rift controls were initially introduced as an optional addition, but has since been added to the standard Rift package. The controls are however not the only control options that are included. The Oculus remote is a small rounded bar with a large, circular navigation pad. It also has back, menu and up/down buttons. It also includes an Xbox One wireless controller and a Microsoft Xbox wireless adapter for Windows.
The Oculus Rift controllers are handy for VR games that use conventional, non-motion based control schemes, and the headset’s control scheme is very comfortable and gives off a natural feel. In addition to the motion tracking feature, it has responsive physical components like analog sticks and face buttons.
Oculus Rift Key Technical Specifications
| Display Panel | OLED |
| Resolution | 2160×1200 pixels |
| Refresh Rate | 90Hz |
| Ports | HDMI 1.3, USB 3.0 (4-meter headset), USB 2.0 |
| Lens Distance | Adjustable |
| Weight | 1.03lbs |
| Field of View | 100 degrees |
| Platform | PC |
| Audio |
Integrated over-ear headphones and microphone |
Oculus Rift System Requirements
| Minimum | Recommended | |
| CPU | Intel i3-6100 / AMD Ryzen 3 1200, FX4350 or greater | Intel i5-4590 / AMD Ryzen 5 1500X or greater |
| GPU | NVIDIA GTX 1060 / AMD Radeon RX 480 or greater | NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti / AMD Radeon RX 470 or greater |
| RAM | 8GB and above | 8GB and above |
| Operating System | Windows 10 | Windows 10 |
| USB Port | 3x USB 3.0 ports, plus 1x USB 2.0 port | 1x USB 3.0 port, plus 2x USB 2.0 ports |
| Video Output | Compatible HDMI 1.3 video output | Compatible HDMI 1.3 video output |
PROS
- It also provides an immersive Virtual Reality experience.
- It can work with both Oculus and Steam VR platforms.
- The Oculus Rift now includes both convectional gamepads and Oculus Touch controllers.
CONS
- The Oculus Rift Headset requires four USB ports to function fully (three USB 3 and one USB 2).
Pimax 5k Plus
The Pimax 5K Plus offers a fresh look at ultra-wide Virtual Reality, although the headset wouldn’t be suitable for everyone; it is expensive and demands a lot of adjustments to get the settings perfect. If you’re new to VR, we wouldn’t recommend the Pimax 5K Plus but if you are well experienced in VR and you want something fresh and unique, then this is just what you need as the peripheral vision in VR that Pimax 5K Plus offers, would definitely rekindle your love for it.
Design
The Pimax 5K Plus provides crisp display and a wide field of view (FOV) – this feature is what seems to draw many to the headset amidst its flaws. The Pimax 5K Plus is the largest VR Headset to be tested and reviewed so far. Its dimensions are about: 11.5 inches (29.21cm) across, 3.75 inches (9.5cm) tall and a maximum depth of 4.5 inches (11.4cm). The large size makes the headset appear quite ridiculous on the head, as it sticks out from both sides.
However, it’s enormous size compared to other headsets is for a reason, as it requires enough space to accommodate two side x side displays, in other to produce the headset’s signature 200-degree FOV.
The wide FOV of the Pimax 5K Plus is what gives it an edge over the Vive Pro as the latter has a 110-degree FOV. The size of the headset’s displays is still quite vague but its frame suggests the screens are roughly 5 inches across. It has a total resolution of 5120×1440 pixels (this is what the company refers to as ‘5K’), from which each panel features 2560×1440 pixels.
The headset uses custom made panels called CLPL (Custom Low Persistence Liquid) displays. The CLPL panels do not show any noticeable ghosting or tearing. However, they are lacking in color reproduction. If you’re looking for OLED level color reproduction, the 5K Plus wouldn’t be able to give you that.
However, in the 5K BE (Business Edition) – which is a business version of the headset, the OLED panels are featured in the same ultra-wide configuration and quite surprisingly too. Despite the large size of the headset it is relatively light. Unfortunately, the light material that was used for the headset is also a weak one as past review units have had cracks on their shells that resulted from minor bumps. This gives the HTC Vive and Give Pro an edge over the Pimax 5K Plus.
The headset has three straps with a Velcro harness that keeps the headset on your face but that’s pretty much all there is to it as the straps do not provide a comfortable fit. The headset doesn’t include headphones which is bad for a $699 headset. However, Pimax is working on a mechanical strap upgrade which would include headphones and possibly correct the issue of the headset not fitting on properly.
It’s also important to note that the current price of the headset doesn’t include controllers or base stations. To utilize the headset to its full potential, you must source controllers and base stations from a Vive or Vive Pro System. On the brighter side, it doesn’t need a PC much more powerful, as is the case with Pimax 8K, and it is also cheaper than the latter. The screen of the headset also provides a rich, detailed environment.
Pimax 5K Hand Tracking
The hand tracking module can be attached to the front of both headsets. The tech used in the hand tracking module was supplied by Leap Motion. This tech however, doesn’t support an interactive demo that is; there is nothing to pick up, touch or point to. It only has some trippy hand visuals that you can wave about in front of your face.
The Leap Motion tech can also detect individual finger movements and the sensors. Due to the wide field of view, you wouldn’t have any problem using your hands and making movements at the widest points of the Pimax screens, close to the edge.
Pimax 5K Plus Eye Tracking
Having lacked a demo in the hand tracking, the eye tracking greatly improved in that regard. The eye tracking tech provided by 7Invensum, is quite similar to a whack-a-mole game – where you had to hit the little critters popping up simply by looking at them. This was a bit of a challenge though as it tested both the speed and accuracy of the 7Invensum technology.
The process isn’t too complicated: after a quick calibration – which doesn’t occur all the time, look at the several dots one after another then give the moles a long stare. Most of the time, the eye tracking worked exactly as anticipated, even as your gaze moved between the digital moles in quick successions. While further modifications would be needed, what was offered by the 7Invensum technology was certainly an impressive stepping stone.
Pimax 5K Plus BE
This headset is one that most consumers usually don’t opt for when considering buying a VR headset – the Pimax 5K Plus Business Edition (BE). There however are two major differences between the consumer Pimax 5K Plus and Pimax 5K BE and they are: Price and Screen. The Pimax 5K BE retails for $999 and comes with an OLED screen rather than the CLPL in Pimax 5K Plus.
The OLED display definitely did seem impressive comparative with the bold colors and details expected of an OLED screen but there wasn’t enough difference between this and the general Pimax 5K Plus, that you would want to spend that amount of extra cash for – just for a display. The normal Pimax 5K Plus does pretty much a satisfactory job in that regard.
Pimax Controller
The Pimax controllers look almost identical to the Stream Knuckles controllers, although they only appeared as basic prototypes. The controllers had travel buttons, and a strap that tightens around the back of the hand works satisfactorily. In terms of comfort, the controllers feel great and it provides an easy access to the grip and trigger. The strap also holds the controller in place when trying an action such as throwing.
The controllers – just like the headset, are quite bulky but lightly weighted. They are also pretty impressive but require additional development.
Pimax 5K Plus Key Technical Specs
| Display Panel | CLPL/OLED |
| Resolution | 5120×1440 pixels |
| Refresh Rate | 140Hz |
| Ports | USB 2.0/3.0 DisplayPort 1.4 |
| Platform | PC with Windows OS |
| Weight | 1.13lbs |
| Field of View | 200 degrees |
| Audio | 3.5mm audio jack, integrated microphone |
Pimax 5K System Requirements
| Minimum | |
| CPU | Intel i3-6100 / AMD Ryzen 3 1200, FX4350 or greater |
| GPU | NVIDIA GTX 1060 / AMD Radeon RX 480 or greater |
| RAM | 8GB and above |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| USB Port | 3x USB 3.0 ports, plus 1x USB 2.0 port |
| Video Output | Compatible HDMI 1.3 video output |
PROS
- Provided you get the settings right, the Pimax 5K Plus provides high visual clarity.
- The headset also offers peripheral vision.
- It is light in weight
CONS
- It has a fragile build with weak head straps.
- Headphones aren’t included in the package.
- The headset is not cost-effective.
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HTC Vive
The Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive are the two best PC-tethered Headsets in the market currently, so then the big question most consumers are faced with is; which to buy? Earlier on, we reviewed the features and specs of the Oculus Rift in depth. With the details on the HTC Vive that would be provided in this section, we sure do hope it would help you narrow down your decision.
Design
The HTC Vive is a comprehensive PC-tethered Virtual Reality system that supports both motion controls and whole room VR. There was a need to create a Virtual Reality system that would rival the infamous Oculus Rift, so HTC and Valve worked together to that effect and indeed produced a system – in form of HTC Vive. The final forms of the HTC Vive have been released and although the hardware hasn’t changed, the prices have.
The HTC Vive was initially more expensive – at $799, but is now at $599. Asides from being more cost effective, it also supports whole room VR for playing in a wider workspace than the Rift allows and this feature has given it an edge over the latter for certain types of games, although consumers generally prefer the Oculus Touch controllers to that of Vive’s.
The headset has a large, black, plastic visor shaped almost like a rectangular mushroom. It has a curved front that bells out to hold the thirty-two motion tracking sensors – which are all over its surface, and one optical camera located in the center of the front panel. On the left side of the headset, you would find a button and an indicator LED while on the right side; there is a small knob that can adjust the distance between your pupils (Pupillary Distance), for the sole purpose of helping you focus.
The Vive uses a single 2160×1200 LCD with a refresh rate of 90Hz. It is also paired with two lenses that separate the display into 1080×1200 pixels for each eye – which is the same for Oculus Rift. A set of three wide elastic straps secure the headset to your head by means of hook and loop fasteners, and one of the three straps goes over the top of your head to help ensure a stable and snug fit.
There is also a part of the focus system that helps you change the distance between the LCD panel and the lenses; this is found at mounts – where the side strap connects to the headset. By pulling the rubber ring backwards or pushing it forward, you can easily adjust the distance to suit your preference although, this could be quite a hassling adjustment to make because the two sections are connected very stiffly.
Fortunately, you can also wear glasses while using the Vive, and the default focal length should work just fine. Around the edge of the headset’s face mask, there is a foam padding that is connected to hook and loop fasteners and can also be easily removed from its place for cleaning if it soaks up a bit of sweat. A triple cable runs over the top strap and down the back of your head to connect the Vive’s Link Box which in turn, connects to your PC.
The cable is about 10 feet long and includes HDMI, Power, and USB connectors. A fourth shorter cable reaches just the back of your head and it contains a 3.5mm headphone jack. The headset also comes with a pair of earphones but they aren’t too appealing, because they are extremely short (just about 14 inches), and could pop out of your ears by the slight turn of your head. However, that doesn’t pose as much of a concern because you can also use your own pair of headphones if you choose to.
Accessories
Link Box
The Vive’s link box is a small device, just about the size and shape of a Sony PlayStation TV. One side of the link box bears a DisplayPort, HDMI, Power, and USB connectors marked in black, which indicate that they connect to the PC, or to a power outlet with the required wall adapter. However, the Vive works with either the HDMI or DisplayPort, so you don’t need to connect both.
The other side of the link box holds HDMI, Power and USB connectors too but on this side, they are marked in orange – indicating that they connect only to the headset’s cable. The standard Vive package comes with an adhesive rubber foot that helps secure the link box to a desk or table. Without the adhesive foot, the tiny box would simply plop around at the slightest tug of its cable.
Motion Controllers
The Vive comes with two identical, both-handed controller wands that are about 8.5 inches long and are loaded with not only motion, but positioning sensors also. There is a circular touch pad on the top of each wand that is winged by Menu and VR buttons. The Menu buttons prompt up a menu which is dependent on the version of software you are using, while the VR buttons open up the stream VR interface.
There is a large trigger found at the underside of the wand and two grip buttons sit lower, on either sides of the handle. The circular touch pad at the top of the wand is a large ring containing positioning sensors that let the Vive track the location of the controller. The wands are functional and the touch pads/motion sensors allow for some concise inputs. However, the Oculus Rift controllers are still preferred because of the included Oculus Touch controls.
The Vive’s controllers, rather than touch pads, use analog thumb sticks instead of touch pads but they are curved to fit the hands comfortably and so feel more natural to hold with the trigger buttons that reflect the gripping with your fingers. The controllers function perfectly fine but the Oculus Touch controllers simply give off a better feel.
Base Stations
The Vive’s controllers depend on two base stations in other to determine the position of the headset and its controllers. The base stations are round boxes each measuring 3×3×2 inches. The front of each station is glossy and contains an indicator light, a small alphanumeric LED display and an array of infrared LED’s. The back on the base stations hold a Mode Button, a Power Connector and a 3.5mm audio port.
The stations should also be able to detect each other wirelessly, provided that they are properly configured but if they are not, they can also be physically connected by utilizing the 3.5mm port which is made possible by the inclusion of an extremely long cable. Hence from all that has been discussed, the Vive asides from the major components of the system, also comes with three Power Adapter for the Link Box/Headset and Base Stations, two USB Power Adapters and USB-to-Micro USB cables for connecting the link box to your PC.
It also comes with a second Foam Pad for the Face Mask, wall mounting hardware for the Base Stations and the aforementioned included Earphones and Sync Cables.
HTC Vive Key Technical Specs
| Display Panel | LCD |
| Resolution | 2160×1200 pixels |
| Refresh Rate | 60/70Hz |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 CPU |
| Storage | 32/64GB |
| Weight | 1.03lbs |
| Field of View | 101 degrees |
HTC Vive System Requirements
| Recommended | Minimum | |
| CPU | Intel i5-4590 or AMD FX 8350 or better | Intel Core i5-4590/AMD FX 8350 equivalent or better |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060, AMD Radeon RX 480 equivalent or better | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970, AMD Radeon R9 290 equivalent or better |
| RAM | 4GB or more | 4GB or more |
| Operating System | Windows 7 SPI, Windows 8.1 or later, Windows 10 | Windows 7 SPI, Windows 8.1 or later, Windows 10 |
| USB Port | 1 × USB 2.0 or better port | 1 × USB 2.0 or better port |
| Video Output | HDMI 1.4, Display Port 1.2 or newer | HDMI 1.4, Display Port 1.2 or newer |
PROS
- The Vive provides an immersive Virtual Reality experience.
- It also includes motion controllers and external sensors for whole room VR.
CONS
- It is expensive
- It is a tethered headset
- It makes whole-room VR tricky.
Oculus Rift S
The Oculus Rift S is a modest upgrade from the original Oculus Rift with a new look, some new features and a $50 increase in price. It however doesn’t look much like the original Oculus Rift.
Design and Setup
The Oculus Rift S is currently Oculus’ biggest and best platform for exclusive gaming experiences and it has to be wired to a gaming PC or console. One of the major differences between the original Oculus Rift and the Oculus Rift S is the addition of the insight system which uses tracking cameras that are built straight into the headset, rather than ones that are mounted around the room. The insight system was first seen on the Oculus Quest and this version of the Rift S is fundamentally similar to it.
The Rift S has five cameras unlike the Quest which has four, and instead of having wide angle cameras on either corners of the headset, the five cameras are placed differently (Two cameras on the front, one on each side, and one on the top of the headset). According to Oculus, the inclusion of the five cameras should give your hands a little more range compared to the Quest but unlike the totally wired Quest, you are still tethered to a PC so the advantages of the Rift S over the Quest aren’t quite as remarkable.
To get the arena scale virtual reality effect from the Rift S, one would also need a backpack PC and you can check out some demos of the arena scale VR on the Quest as shown by Oculus. On the plus side, the original Rift required arranging the first generation’s camera stands, occupying all your computer’s USB ports in the process and its default two cameras couldn’t track your controllers if you turned around. Not only that, to get a room scale three-camera set up, you would have to run wires all across your room. This is quite frustrating to say the least.
The Rift S solves these problems as it is an improvement over the original Rift. Its setup process is far simpler because all that’s required is plug in one cable and one DisplayPort cable, then run the Oculus software which would in turn guide you through the whole setup process.
Likewise, drawing boundary lines with the Rift S is also quite easy to do as you would simply put on your headset, pick up one of the two hand controllers and trace lines on a grainy video feed of the real world, which is quite similar to the Quest’s system.
There’s no fiddling with camera stands or running wires all over the room to get them powered up. Oculus has also slightly re-designed its old touch controllers. The new model isn’t significantly better or worse than the old touch, which still has the reputation of being one of the best VR controllers created so far.
The insight system is however the only significant feature that distinguishes the Rift S from the preceding one. The remaining changes that were made are less distinguishable upgrades.
Also one of the added features is that the old over-the-ear headphones were removed and replaced by directional speakers which are designed to direct sound into your ears but just as seen in most other headsets, they leak sound so badly that one would even consider using the optional Oculus earbuds when around other people or using personal headphones.
Specifications
The Rift S also has a slightly higher resolution than that of the original Rift at 1280×1440 pixels rather than 1200×1080 pixels, but its resolution is still not as high as the Quest’s and its screen refresh rate has been downgraded. Some users will wonder why the refresh rate would be much of a big deal, but it determines the image quality in VR. If they get too low, they can increase likelihood of motion sickness. Most headsets, including the old Rift, have aimed at a minimum refresh rate of 90Hz but the Rift S is 80Hz.
This has caused quite some dismay among users as the screen of the Rift S doesn’t feel better than the original Rift as one would have expected – for a headset that was released three years after. However, it could be quite understandable that Oculus made these compromises in other to avoid altering the Rift’s computing requirements. That is, if your gaming PC meets the old Rift’s recommended system specifications, it should work with the Rift S.
However, if you have a more recent machine, you still can’t take advantage of its power as modern graphic cards should be able to push higher refresh rates at the resolutions of the Rift S displays but rather sadly, there is no option for that. The Rift S also looks so bland aesthetically and a school of thought believes that the headset wasn’t actually designed for hardcore VR fans but rather for VR headset developers. Compared to the distinctive and elegant old Rift design, the Rift S appears purely practical.
The Rift S headset was manufactured by Lenovo and it imports some elements of Lenovo Mirage Solo, as well as Sony PlayStation VR. The headset is also optimized for comfort as to where the original Rift used three plastic head straps, the Rift S has a halo-style ring that rests around the top of your head and tightens with a wheel at the back.
Although the headset weighs slightly more than the original Rift, partly because of its new tracking cameras, the halo ring helps to distribute the weight around your head. This makes the Rift S more comfortable than the Quest as the latter uses the old Rift’s design.
Oculus also removed the manual slide that allows you to adjust the distance between lenses, and instead opted for a software tweak that’s supposed to replicate the process. Although this trade-off doesn’t exactly affect everyone, however, people with dramatically wider or narrower distances between their pupils would certainly be affected. On the brighter side, a new button helps you slide the headset’s screen forward or backward – just like the PlayStation VR (PSVR). This makes the Rift S easier to use with glasses.
Accessories
The Rift S has two controllers with ten buttons, two analog sticks and two touch sensitive thumb rest that are both instinctive to operate with a usable design, and a tactile feedback. Due to the constellation sensors, the controllers have precise, low latency motion tracking which offers three degrees of positional tracking, and three degrees of rotational tracking.
Asides from the constellation sensors, the controllers also have additional infrared LED sensors for higher, more accurate hand and head tracking. Each of the controllers both requires AA batteries for power.
Oculus Rift S Key Technical Specifications
| Display Panel | LCD |
| Resolution | 2560×1440, (1280×1440 per eye) |
| Refresh Rate | 80Hz |
| Ports/Connectivity | DisplayPort 1.2, USB 3.0 (5-meter) |
| Storage | 32/64GB |
| Weight | 1.1lbs |
| Field of View | 115 degrees |
Oculus Rift S System Requirements
| Minimum | Recommended | |
| CPU | Intel i5-4590 / AMD Ryzen 5 1500X or greater |